Diamond and Sakura
by Athyra
Summary: This is a collection of Dia x Riko blips I have written on my tumblr, uploaded here just so I can contribute to the ship tag. Each blip will have an author's note in front of it, please read it before continuing.
1. Hand

**Disclaimer:** As stated in the summary, this is a collection of DiaRiko blips I've written on my tumblr, just so I can contribute to the DiaRiko tag here on Fanfiction net. Each blip is separate and are not related to one another – there will always be an A/N in front of each blip, so please read it before continuing with the rest of the blip. Also, excuse the mediocre titles, as most of these blips were untitled at the time of upload lol  


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 **A/N:** This was supposed to be a response to someone's ask on tumblr, but after rambling for a bit, this somehow turned into a tiny bliplet. [Set in Anime-verse.]

 **Words** : 798

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"Riko-san? Are you alright?"

Riko jolts and instinctively hides her hand behind her back, regretting it a moment later. It isn't as if she's doing something wrong, but her action makes her appear suspicious to any onlookers and it's no exception for the student council president who happens to pass by.

Dia frowns and strides purposefully towards the younger girl. "What were you doing?"

Sighing, Riko reluctantly holds out her hand and braces herself for the inevitable. "I-I accidentally hurt myself and I was looking for bandaids-"

Just as she expected, Dia begins to fuss over the small cuts and reprimands her for coming to the club room instead of the infirmary. "This is not enough. Come with me, you need to-"

Riko firmly stays her ground even as Dia pulls at her hand, mindful of the injured areas. "I'm fine, Dia-san. It doesn't hurt that bad, I'd rather not make a big deal out of this-"

Dia interrupts her with a severe look. "It is not the matter of pain, Riko-san. You have such pretty hands, you need to take care of them better."

"Huh? What-?" Riko is so taken aback that Dia has successfully tugged her towards the door before she realizes it. She glances down at the older girl's hand, noting how it is the same size, if not slightly smaller than her own. Suddenly conscious their contact, of the warmth from Dia's hand, Riko could feel a faint blush forming on her cheeks.

The blush only darkens when other students glance their way curiously. The student council president is unaware of all the attention, with the way she walks down the hallway and her grip still unrelenting yet somehow gentle around the younger girl's. By the time they reach the infirmary, Riko's face is already red enough to prompt Dia to ask if she has a fever as well.

"Mou, Dia-san! I told you, I'm fine!" Riko tries to free her hand, flustered from the idle gossip and the taller girl's intense gaze.

"Humor me then. I will not feel fine until the cuts are treated properly," Dia's curt tone ends any room for argument.

Frowning, Riko stubbornly remains silent while Dia gingerly dabs at the small cuts with a cotton swab. She appreciates Dia's sentiment, but she is rather embarrassed by the whole spectacle earlier and miffed about the latter being oblivious to her discomfort.

After Dia carefully wraps the bandaids around the cuts, she continues to hold Riko's hand, much to her confusion.

"Apologies for being so forceful earlier, Riko-san."

A childish side of Riko wants to stay silent, but the rest of her understands that her senpai did all those because she cares. "It's okay… I just wish you didn't make such a big deal out of this."

"I stand by what I said before. Your hands are very pretty, it would be awful if scars were to blemish the skin, would it not?" Dia's gaze is still focused on the bandaids, her voice laced with concern.

Riko swallows hard. "That's- well, I think your hands are prettier, Dia-san."

The older girl gives her a small smile. "But mine are normal, whereas yours belong to a pianist, especially one as talented as you."

"What's with all the compliments?" Riko can't help but squeak, though she is rather pleased about those sincere words.

"… I was just thinking earlier, when I was in the student council room, what and where I would be now if you had not come to Uranohoshi."

Unprepared for the somber sentiment, Riko feels the elation in her heart diminishes a little, replaced by worry. "What happened?"

The older girl shakes her head. "Nothing. The thought just appeared out of nowhere, but it is indeed true. You have made so many things possible, Riko-san, and I am happy with the way things are." A quiet chuckle then lifts the heavy atmosphere. "So forgive me for being overprotective."

"Dia-san…" Warmth fills her chest as Riko covers Dia's hand with hers. She feels silly for being upset earlier, now that she knows the truth. "I-I'm also grateful, for being here. I love Aqours and Uchiura, and I'm happy with the way things are too."

They share an understanding look, smiling at each other as the words and feelings sink in. However, as Riko gazes at Dia and marvels at how the sunlight from the open window envelopes her form, a revelation slowly takes root in her pounding heart.

She is actually not wholly happy with way things are. Maybe, just maybe, she wants a change, something _more_ , with the emerald-eyed girl gently cradling her bandaged hand.


	2. Sense of Control

**A/N:** This was a tumblr request (sort of), asking me to choose between ikemen Cheshire Cat Riko (the Riko UR from the Wonderland set of School Idol Festival), or the ikemen Guilty Kiss Riko. Well, I want both, so here is this blip. It's the first time I've written DiaRiko in Dia's POV, so this was fun~ I'd strongly suggest you to google the UR if you don't know what it looks like. Imo it's still one of the best URs ever

[Set in mostly canon-verse, as subunits are mentioned]

 **Words** : 2,175

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Kurosawa Dia is not amused.

She takes a deep breath and tries to rationalize her predicament once more. She has been walking around this seemingly endless stretch of forest path, for who knows how long, and frankly she is tired of this nonsense. Oh she still has stamina left, thank you very much. As if a mere walk could defeat the Kurosawa heiress! No, she is simply frustrated at the lack of goal. If she has a known purpose, then she would know where to direct her energy towards. As it is, she appears to be stuck in this maze without an exit in sight.

Admittedly, the forest is breathtaking with its lively, vibrant colors yet retains that serene aura of nature, a haven she would have enjoyed after a stressful day.

However, she already knows this isn't real. The odd colors aside, she is certain that this is a dream because – no way she would have gotten lost in the first place! That's preposterous! She's only ever gotten lost once on Awashima Island, and that was only due to Kanan and Mari having an unfair advantage when they played hide and seek.

Dia shakes her head. She pinches herself for the umpteenth time, sighing at the lack of pain which again confirms her speculation. Practical as ever, she keeps following the forest trail to see where it leads her, and even tries to step off of the road a few times but inexplicably finds herself right back on the track.

In a dream world, shouldn't she be the master of the landscape? Should she not be able to affect how her subconscious shapes the world?

She could, of course, simply wait for the alarm to inevitably wake her up for school, but that is not who Kurosawa Dia is!

"I command you to let me out of this blasted forest!" Dia uses her most fearsome voice, the tone she uses during student council budget meetings and Aqours discussions. Enough is enough!

A moment later, the trees in front of her wobble and melt to the ground, revealing a secret path. She holds her head high, pleased that things are finally going her way, although a part of her is surprised that her demand is actually met.

"See, you just have to make things happen. Nothing will be accomplished if you remain idle!" Dia smiles confidently as she hurries down the new trail. "You just have to take control and-"

She pauses, frowning as she surveys the thinning forest and the massive silhouette looming ahead of her. The colors of the trees have become more and more vivid, fitting of lollipops and candies and even chocolate. Upon closer inspection, the building is actually a castle seemingly constructed out of cake and other confectionery.

Blinking, she fleetingly recalls a Western fairy tale called ' _Hansel and Gretel_ ', and she can't help but feel a bit uneasy as she approaches the palace.

Well, how bad could a dwelling of sweets be, since this is a dream?

She is mildly disappointed when she couldn't find any pudding amidst the lawn of snacks and desserts, though she berates herself a moment later for such a silly thought. Never take food from strangers or of suspicious origins, even in a dream!

"Welcome to my humble abode, Dia-san."

Dia gapes.

There, perched on a balcony reminiscent of the famed _Romeo and Juliet_ , is Sakurauchi Riko. Her demeanor, however, is completely different than what Dia knows of her composed and reserved kouhai.

Dressed in an elegant outfit fitting of royalty and adorned with golden trinkets, the younger girl smiles down at her guest. The smile exudes sheer confidence, as if she knows exactly what is happening and has everything under her control.

The way Riko gazes at her reminds her of the playful yet predatory manner that a cat watches its prey.

Wait, are those cat ears on her head and a fluffy tail swishing like a pendulum behind her…?

"I assure you they're real, Dia-san." Riko giggles prettily and hops down from her perch, her white boots making no sound as she lands on the lawn.

"W-What… this is absurd," Dia folds her arms and turns away from her kouhai. It's distracting, really, how dashing Riko appears in such garment. Combined with the side braid, draped over her right shoulder, and the faint audacious smirk, this girl does indeed look the master of this realm. "This ridiculous dream has gone on long enough. Castle made of cakes, lawn full of sweets and now my kouhai is some sort of… Cheshire Cat-human? No, none of this is real, and I demand that you stop this foolishness."

Riko's tail curls almost lazily at her response. "As expected of Dia-san, straight to the point hmm? Well then, I have several _solutions_ for you…"

With a graceful gesture, eight vials suddenly materialize out of thin air. Each of these transparent bottles contains a colored liquid. Dia frowns skeptically when she recognizes that those happen to be the representative colors of each member of Aqours.

"What are these supposed to be?"

"Each vial has different effects, though I cannot reveal what secret each one holds," Riko tilts her head and beckons the Red Vial with her finger. "What about this one? Are you not curious what _you_ taste like?"

Dia's frown deepens at the suggestive subtext, and Riko's amber eyes seem to shimmer in jest.

"No, I care not. All I want is to go home or, rather, wake up from this silly dream."

Riko chuckles throatily then, the sound tickling within Dia's chest and making her cheeks heat up. "You still think this to be a simple dream? What is a dream? Many people claim it is based off of your emotions, your hidden desires… admit it, you like seeing me this way, _senpai_."

The last word is uttered with a languid purr, and Dia could feel herself blush harder. She tries to deny it yet words are caught in her parched throat.

She vividly recalls what happened during practice today, when they all tried on their respective subunit outfits. You, Kanan, Yoshiko and Ruby busily flit around them to do final checkups, to ensure that the measurements are fine and to add more embellishments if needed. Each subunit has its own theme, its own style, especially since this is their second release. Yoshiko and Mari got into their zone fairly quickly while Riko had stood on the side, clearly conflicted about how to express herself.

Aqours' composer is not timid by any means and could be quite headstrong whenever the situation calls for it, a quality that Dia both understands and respects. However, Dia also notices that Riko prefers to stay on the sidelines instead of the spotlight. Unlike being within the safe bubble of their group of nine, being in a subunit requires her to be more actively involved, and thus she's been trying to adapt to the image that _Strawberry Trapper_ had first presented.

Even then, even after composing _Koware Yasuki,_ Riko is still embarrassed about Guilty Kiss' style. She deemed the outfit too much for her, especially her exposed midriff. Though engrossed with Azalea's own checkups, Dia still took the time to help out her kouhais and had thought that the suit fit Riko quite well. The violet bow tie complements her wine-colored hair, and those tight glossy pants really show off her legs…

Click.

Dia snaps out of her flashback and blinks up at Riko. With those boots, the younger girl now stands a bit taller than her, enough that Dia has to look up to meet her amused gaze.

"W-What are you doing?"

Click.

Dia takes a step back. Riko takes a step closer.

"Hey, I said-"

Click.

Dia is forced to back away, only to find their distance shortened again with a fluid stride. Normally, she doesn't mind having her personal space encroached, having grown up with huggle-happy Kanan and boob-molesting Mari, and she herself has used such intimidation tactic countless times. However, her instincts warn her that she needs to maintain a certain distance from this Riko, the master of this realm.

Unfortunately for Dia, her back soon meets the castle wall beneath the balcony and that's when Riko strikes.

Dia's heart lurches as Riko slams a hand beside her head and leans close.

 _This… is kabedon, right? Something Riko-san's very fond of._

"You still want to leave this… dream, Dia-san?"

Dia swallows hard but stubbornly glares back, refusing to show any weakness. "Yes."

"Then you must pick one, _drink one_." The eight vials hover above them, slowly circling in a mesmerizing rhythm. Dia tries to focus her mind, finding it difficult to think due to their proximity.

"… one is missing, Riko-san. Should there not be nine in total?"

Riko smiles. Within a blink of an eye, the eight vials vanish and are replaced by a single one filled with sakura-colored liquid.

"You have made your choice."

Before Dia could move or even reply, Riko downs the drink in one swift motion. Amber eyes narrowing, she tilts Dia's chin and slowly leans in.

Dia hastily closes her eyes and waits for the inevitable. She couldn't move away, or rather, she doesn't want to. This is just a dream, so there's no harm, right? It's fine to indulge herself…

 _Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep!_

The Kurosawa heiress snaps her eyes open, her face flushed and her heart pounding like a galloping horse. It takes several deep breaths for her confusion to subside. She scowls at her old-fashioned alarm, smacking the button on the top to silence it only to cradle her throbbing hand a moment later.

The dream is still fresh in her mind, and she is mortified at how utterly disappointed she feels about the way it ended. No, she refuses to allow herself to wallow in such a ridiculous matter!

Grumpily, she goes through her morning routines in a pace faster than usual. Once ready, she tells a very drowsy Ruby that she's heading to school early to finish up some student council work.

The brisk morning walk to Uranohoshi clears up her mind just as she hopes it would. She begins to list the many things she has to accomplish today, relieved for something to distract her mind, to regain a degree of control over her reality. As per usual, she drops by Aqours' clubroom to see if any paperwork is left behind even though that never happens.

To her surprise, someone else is there already.

"D-Dia-san, good morning!" Riko looks just as startled as she is, her cheeks flushing as if caught red-handed.

"Good morning, Riko-san. Why are you here so early…" Dia trails off as she looks at the younger girl up and down, puzzled why she's wearing the new Guilty Kiss outfit.

"Well, I thought a great deal about what happened yesterday and, I really should just get over my embarrassment. You-chan and Yocchan tried so hard to make this, so I need to try my best too." Riko chuckles sheepishly, her gaze averted and her ears red. "I figure I should just wear the outfit until I get used to it. Even though I disapprove of what Mari-san and Yocchan do sometimes, I… I still hold pride as a member of our subunit."

Dia nods slowly, the tension in her shoulders lifting now that everything has returned to normal. This is the usual Riko, not the oddly alluring one in the dream.

"Do not fret. You will be fine, Riko-san. Just be yourself. You are guilty enough already."

"Eh?"

"Nothing," Dia purses her lips, annoyed that she almost lets something slip. "I think this is a good idea. Keep trying until you are used to it."

"You think so?" Riko seems to perk up at her approval.

"Yes. I myself used to get stage fright - in fact, I often hid behind Kanan-san and Mari-san. But I kept practicing, speaking in front of people, and more people, until I do not even think about it."

"Stage fright? I find that hard to imagine," Riko smiles uncertainly. "You always seem so confident. But okay, I will um, I will just be myself…"

Even as she says that, her arms are still wrapped around her exposed midriff.

"Just try not to think about what makes you feel self-conscious," Dia chuckles at that, endeared. "What do you feel? How has this outfit changed you?"

School idols are amazing, and this is one of the countless reasons. By donning a special outfit, you feel empowered, that no obstacles can stand in your way. Even the most timid girl would receive the courage she needs to just be herself, to just express her love for school idols.

"How I feel-?" Riko quirks an eyebrow thoughtfully, her arms slowly loosening around her midriff. "Hmm, well, I want to…"

Suddenly, she marches towards Dia, who instinctively takes a step back only to be trapped against the wall. The sense of déjà vu overwhelms Dia, even though Riko is at her usual height unlike the version in the dream.

And this is not a dream. This is actually happening.

Riko casually places her hand beside Dia's head, smiling as she gently caresses the latter's chin. "I want to do this, Dia-san. What do you think? What… should I do next?"

Gazing deeply into those playful amber eyes, Dia already knows what her answer is.


	3. Say My Name

**A/N** : I actually typed this whole blip on my phone when I was on vacation back in October haha. Back then I was so desperate for DiaRiko content, and I needed to get this out of my system before S2ep4 airs. That said, my blip was pretty spot-on, no?

[Anime-verse, pre-S2ep4]

 **Words** : 1,229

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"You are the only one left."

Amber eyes blink slowly. "I'm sorry?"

Dia resists the urge to sigh and repeats. "You are the only one who has yet to correct your wording."

Riko furrows her brows, looking just as puzzled as before but there is a hint of exasperation now. "My wording on what? I don't understand what you're getting at, Dia-san."

"This! Exactly what you just said!" Dia couldn't help but gesture fervently, slamming her hands down on the desk only to flinch in pain a moment later.

Riko's lips twitch in controlled amusement, though she admirably keeps her voice even. "Dia-san-?"

"Yes, _that_. I have already requested the rest of you not to call me that anymore." Pleased that they are finally getting somewhere, Dia folds her arms and begins to pace around the student council room. "It took a lot of effort, but I have succeeded with the others earlier while you were in the music room."

She pauses and rubs her throbbing temple, recalling the dreadful experience. With her precious little sister Ruby's suggestion, Hanamaru was more than happy to call her 'Dia onee-chan". Ah, it felt so wonderful then, to have gained another adorable sibling.

But of course, Mari had to ruin it by calling her the same too. Damn that smirky blonde. Kanan was in a playful mood too and also called her that, which gave Dia unpleasant goosebumps. Her two childhood friends have always referred to her directly by her given name, so it felt quite wrong to hear otherwise. Chika and You chimed in soon after and, while Dia did find them cute, it was already too late to salvage the 'onee-chan' idea.

And so, at the end, they settled with 'Dia-chan'. It did feel a bit odd to be called that by the younger girls but it certainly closed the distance Dia wanted to remove between the grade-groups. This cemented her protective feeling over them and her role as the shadow-leader of their idol group, just as the amazing and cool Elichika had been!

Although, Yoshiko is adamant in calling her 'Diamond' in English during her Yohane persona…

Dia shakes her head and returns her attention back to Riko. "Anyways, Hanamaru-san, Chika-san and You-san have started referring to me as 'Dia-chan', while Yoshiko-san is… probably going to directly call me 'Dia' as she does Mari-san and you."

Comprehension dawns upon Riko's features, though a bit of the exasperation remains and now maternal patience appears to have taken over. It is the same expression she wears whenever Chika and Mari get too excited about their various ideas.

It is rather odd to have such expression directed at her, Kurosawa Dia. As an older sister and the heiress of a traditional family, Dia has not felt like a child yearning to be placated since, well, she was actually still a child.

"So, you want me to stop calling you Dia-san?" Riko says slowly.

"Yes," Dia then adds defensively. "That should close the distance between you and I as well."

Indeed, there is an inexplicable wall between them. It is easy for Dia to treat the other four younger girls like little sisters, just less pandering as she involuntarily finds herself doing to Ruby. However, with Riko, Dia could only interact with her as she would towards other younger students of Uranohoshi. Dia does not want that, since they are both fellow members of Aqours and should have been much closer.

Their personalities match, both being people of logic and sense (most of the time anyway), so why the distance? It couldn't be because Riko is from the city - she is quite close with Chika and You after all. Not to mention, due to subunit practice and choreography coordination, she gets along with Mari and Kanan like they are good friends already.

Truth be told, Dia is envious of their closeness. Therefore, she came up with this plan to once for all remove any barrier. The answer must lie with the way Riko calls her name!

Dia nods to herself, more and more convinced with her educated guess. Today is the day. No more kouhai-senpai relationship but fellow members of Aqours, of equal standing!

"Not Dia-san…" Riko murmurs to herself, "Dia-cha-"

They both blink and, for some reason, blush in chagrin. Riko chuckles awkwardly as she waves it off. "That sounds too weird, doesn't it?"

"You call Kanan-san that just fine…" Words slip out before Dia realizes it, making her fluster more.

Riko appears just as taken aback. "Chika-chan and You-chan do it so naturally that I find myself calling her Kanan-chan as well. She does have that older sister feel-?"

"And I do not?" Dia grimaces at her second slip-up. This is beyond embarrassing! This sounds like she's whining to Riko about trivial complaints or even lack of attention?! No, this shall not do!

"Um, well, you do," Riko clearly looks uncomfortable with the way she averts her gaze. "I'm fond of, maybe even a bit envious of, how close you are with Ruby-chan. I'm an only child, so sometimes I do wonder what it feels like to have a sibling." Her voice is laced with exasperated fondness now. "Well, truthfully, Mari-san feels like an older sister, especially during our Guilty Kiss meetings."

"But not me?" Dia doesn't like how desperate she sounds now, but pride compels her to demand an acceptable answer. "You said I feel like an older sister but, from the way you explain, it seems like you hold Kanan-san and Mari-san in different regards than you do for me."

"U-Um Dia-san-!" For some reason, Riko blushes harder and sounds rather panicked.

"No, try again!"

"E-Erm-!"

"Come on, say it…"

"D-D-Di…!"

"Say my name!"

Dia breathes heavily, her hand pressed against the spot beside Riko's head to ensure the latter could not escape. It is only now that she notices how close they are, physically, for she has backed up the younger girl against the cabinet.

Frowning, Dia is about to step back and apologize when she realizes how different Riko appears in this position. The burgundy-haired girl is mesmerizing with her mouth slightly agape, her cheeks flushed and amber eyes wide. Various emotions swirl in her gaze, of uncertainty and unknown yearning. Dia has never seen her so vulnerable other than around Shiitake, and that is in a completely different way too.

This… this makes Dia want to do _something_.

"Dia…"

The heiress shivers, pleasantly surprised by how the soft voice tickles up her body. How do those syllables sound so wonderfully different, uttered by this girl? The duration is too short though, not enough for her to thoroughly appraise this change.

"Again."

A shaky exhale. "Dia."

There's a strange spike of heat in the air between them, and Dia finds herself staring at Riko's lips. "Again."

"N-no," Riko whispers coyly, "you have to call my name too, it's only fair."

Dia couldn't help but smile in agreement. "Very well then… Riko."

The younger girl swallows and returns the smile. "Dia."

She doesn't know who closes the distance first, but the intangible barrier between them certainly is gone.

It is only much, much later that Dia and Riko learn their little exchange is overheard by the entire school due to the P.A. equipment being accidentally switched on at an inconvenient point.

That's another story for another day.


	4. For Victory

**A/N:** This was part of the prompt requests I was doing on tumblr. The prompt was "I'm fine." I had a different idea in mind but, after SIF's latest story (Chapter 17 part 3), I just gotta write about Dia vs Riko's table tennis XD. There are references to S2ep4 too. The humor in this could be considered crack, iono, haha

[Sorta Anime-verse, post S2ep4, but relevant to SIF storyline]

 **Words** : 1,314

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"This isn't over yet… not yet-!"

"Bring me your best!"

One pair of eyes, the amber hue burning like magma, blazes even more so upon the proclamation. Letting out a fierce yell, Riko strikes the tiny orange ball with all her might and sends it across the table!

The other pair of eyes, the emerald hue shimmering vividly like a kaleidoscope, flashes with determination even as the ball flies at her at a frightening speed. Letting out a battle cry, Dia hits the poor ball dead center with her paddle.

The ball sails over the net and lands exactly at the corner of the table, forcing Riko to backhand and thus making her shot feeble and too high.

Smirking, Dia ends the game with a powerful smash!

"No!" Riko growls, barely reining in her frustration to not chuck the paddle onto the floor. She wipes at the sweat trickling down her forehead, scowling at Dia's smug voice.

"We are even once more, Riko-san. Shall we make it best out of three?"

"Wasn't it best out of three hours ago? How many games have we played anyway?"

Dia quirks an eyebrow. "Are you saying that you are tired?"

Riko twitches. "I'm fine. You're the one who looks worn out, Dia-san."

Indeed, the older girl's hair is in complete disarray. At least Riko had the sense to tie back her hair in a ponytail, although the different hairstyle causes an indiscernible sensation that affects her concentration. No, she is not making excuses.

"I, Kurosawa Dia, look worn out? Preposterous. That is merely the glorious sheen of a victor."

Riko rolls her eyes and passes a towel to Dia anyway. "No, you're not. We have tied again, remember? How about a sudden death match? Whoever wins the next round, wins the match."

"Very well. It is getting rather late," Dia pauses in dabbing at her brow. "I have to say, I am quite surprised. I did not know you were this competitive, Riko-san."

At this, Riko sheepishly averts her gaze but is unable to defend herself. While she does hold pride in her own ability, she usually does not care for wins and losses in simple games. As long as things aren't chaotic and still within control, she doesn't mind what the outcome is.

She certainly isn't as gung-ho about table tennis like Chika and Kanan are (yikes, their match was terrifying to watch). If she had been able to play against them, she would not mind losing due to how truly passionate they are about this game. The same can be said for You, who was excited like her childhood friends but also prioritized having fun over achieving victories.

Ruby… well, she ended up owning everyone, much to everyone's surprise, especially her sister's.

Therefore, technically speaking, Riko considers her true loss to be against Dia. She knows the student council president is Competitive with a capital C, and for some reason losing to Dia irks her to no end. It's like an incessant itch you can't scratch.

For the sake of getting a good night's sleep, she vows to defeat Dia in another match when there's no audience to distract her and so, here they are.

"W-what's so funny?" Riko is a tad miffed when Dia suddenly begins chuckling. She becomes even more flustered as Dia simply smiles and gives her this gentle, almost maternal gaze. It makes her feel rather vulnerable somehow, and that bewilders her.

"Nothing. Since you have the ball, please go ahead and serve."

"Okay…" Frowning, Riko shakes off the odd thought and prepares herself. Her serve is sharp and fast, though Dia easily returns the rally with a flick of her paddle.

After a bit of straight-forward back and forth, they begin to put more force as well as more thought behind each strike, continuously searching for the opportunity to end this match.

Already, Riko has a few close calls, so she inwardly thanks all that school idol training in honing her reflex. Even then, she's getting tired and is breathing raggedly. Dia, on the other hand, doesn't appear to be out of breath. It must be the side effect of growing up with Kanan and Mari, that her stamina has also built up over the years.

 _This is never-ending… I'll be the first to slip up!_ Riko bites her lip and debates whether if she should use her last resort. Mini images of Yoshiko, one angel and one fallen angel, argue for a moment before the fallen angel shoves the angel aside and makes a dramatic pose.

 _Go forth, Lily! Go with your heart!_

Nodding, Riko takes in a deep breath and calls out. "Dia- _chan_!"

She honestly hasn't expected such a big impact on her opponent. Dia freezes in mid-motion, causing the ball to smack her in the forehead.

"Pigyah!"

"Dia-san!"

Worried and feeling guilty, Riko hurries to the older girl, who is leaned over the table with a hand covering the injured area. Lightweight or not, it still stings to be hit by something traveling in high speed.

Dia waves off Riko's apology and mutters. "…you changed back."

"Change what?"

"How you called me. You changed it back to Dia-san."

"But I've always called you Dia-san?"

At this, Dia's ears seem to redden while her expression is blocked by her hand. "…I suppose you have. Even though everyone has changed since that day at the marine park, you still revert to the old ways."

"Oh. Out of habit I guess," Riko is at a loss for words. She doesn't speak to Dia much and when they do, it is often done without referring to each other's name. She thought that having the others call her 'Dia-chan' is enough already. They have always been Riko-san and Dia-san, so that's fine, right?

Shaking her head, Dia straightens and gazes at the shorter girl with a stern expression. "I would like you to call me that too. It shortens the kouhai-senpai distance, see, and if I had gotten used to it, I would not have been so surprised just now."

Riko has to cover her mouth or else she would have burst into giggles. In spite of Dia's firm voice, her flushed cheeks totally give her away. Like that day at the marine park, she still finds this side of Dia to be very cute. Before, it had only been fleeting and she was too confused to appreciate this refreshing change.

Now, she is filled with the urge to tease the kaichou even more.

"Dia- _chan_ ~"

Dia narrows her eyes, though the small curve at the corner of her mouth is telling enough. "Good, start practicing until you call me that naturally."

Riko feels like she's winning. The fact that there was no winner in their table tennis match has long left her mind. She gives Dia a playful salute similar to how You tends to do. "Oh, I will, Dia- _chan_ ~"

Harrumphing, Dia closes their distance until they are mere centimeters apart. Ah, this is it, the 'intimidation' technique Chika had mentioned. Perhaps being around Chika and, to an extent, Mari, has rubbed off on her, for she has no problem with such proximity.

"What's the matter, Dia- _chan_?"

Riko's heart skips a beat when Dia leans down near her ear and whispers. "I think it is getting quite late. We should go to bed, _Riko_."

She doesn't even notice Dia smirking and sauntering away. Her mind replays the situation just now, the husky voice, the heated breath, and the alluring smile.

Alright, she had completely and utterly lost.

Or did she?


End file.
